A Three Hour Tour. A Three Hour Tour

With the poor weather yesterday and overnight, and with the aforementioned breakfast deficiencies, we decided to sleep in a bit today.  The main items on our agenda were a bit flexible, save our three hour boat trip.  We loaded up, and after returning to the B&B after leaving their driveway not one, not two, but three times, we were on our way.  The rain had given way to bright sunlight fighting with a few dark clouds here and there.  It is amazing how much different Skye looks when you can actually see it!We had to drive much of the length of Skye to our boat trip departure.  As we had plenty of time, we had the ability to stop pretty much where we wanted, if we saw something interesting.  Carrie took full advantage of that ability, as we made frequent stops to take pictures and occasionally, a short walk - to take pictures.Yesterday, the weather was so poor, she really wanted a good picture of the beautiful city of Portree, and it just never happened.  I knew there was a great vantage point by a petrol station, and when she suggested we top up before leaving the area, I had the plan in motion.  While I fueled, she got some amazing shots of the town, now that there was bright sunlight to illuminate.  We left Portree, and continued south.  There was an entirely different landscape than we had seen so far in Skye, and we enjoyed viewing and photographing it.  We stopped to take pictures of a nice waterfall, and Carrie looked at the neighboring Locke, and swore she saw the Loch Ness Monster.  She took a picture to prove it.  I pulled out the long lens, and documented that the item was man-made, and definitely not a mythological water creature.  Carrie wasn’t convinced.We turned off of the main artery to head to Elgol, home of Misty Island Boat Trips.  We were going to take a 3 hour trip to visit Loch Coruisk, which is only reachable via boat or multi-hour hike.  The original plan was to take a 45 minute boat ride, have an hour and a half to walk around the loch, and return by the same boat.  Unfortunately, there was an extreme low tide, causing the return trip to delayed.  So, our three hour tour (a three hour tour) turned into a 5 hour tour.  I did make sure the first mate was not called Gilligan.When we arrived at the harbor, there were no parking spots available nearby, so we had to drive back up the steep hill and park at the top.  I had a premonition that after the trip, it would not be fun to hike back up the hill.  I had no idea just how correct I would turn out to be.We got on the boat, and had a great trip in great weather to the Loch.  On the way, we saw more seals.  Carrie was ecstatic.  We arrived at the simple dock by the loch.  We did not really know exactly what we would be doing there.  Apparently, the goal there was to take a rugged hike around the unspoiled beauty of the loch.  Since we were lucky to have extra time there that we did not pay for (or that is how the skipper spun the abrupt change in schedule), we were to hike for a couple of hours in, then return to the boat.  It was to be tied up at the dock a few hours earlier, if people needed facilities, or just wanted to relax on the boat with some tea and shortbread.We had a vigorous hike, and were waiting by the dock when the boat returned.  We made ourselves comfortable out of the wind, which had been super strong for our entire loch experience.  We are so windburned.  They made us tea and gave us some shortbread to snack on, which was great, since we had a lousy breakfast, and no real lunch.  There were more seals there, and we enjoyed watching them look at us with their cute eyes, then roll back asleep.  When it was finally time to return, the rain started.  I had been sitting under the cabin overhang, so I was mostly out of it.  The first mate (NOT Gilligan) told Carrie she could move under there as well, as it would be wet on her side of the boat.  I neglected to mention that Carrie had a hoodie on, a heavy coat, a rain coat, another rain coat on, and my rain jacket covering her knees.  OH, and a warm scarf around her neck.  She does NOT like to be cold.  That is why I was sheltering, as I had given up my coverings for her benefit.  We both ended up pretty protected from the elements on the return ride.  Once at the harbor, we had to wait in a holding pattern while another boat disembarked their passengers.Finally back on dry land, it was time to hike up the steep hill to our car.  On normal days, it would not be fun, but on a day when we’ve already been hiking for hours on pretty rugged terrain, walking straight up a hill seemed daunting.  But we made it, and were finally in our car heading to the B&B.Once we made it, we walked into this beautiful Scandinavian modern home right on the shores of the ocean.  Our host met us and brought us into the breakfast room.  Floor to ceiling windows facing out on the ocean, with sailboats, and a tall ship right in front of us.  We went downstairs to our room, and we have the same view.  We can open our full height sliding door, and we are on the shore.  AMAZING!  It was getting late, so we went straight out to dinner.  It was nice - not Katie good, but nice.  It could have been a plate of saltines, and we would have been thankful, after not much real food at all today.  We went back to the B&B, unloaded, reveled in the beautiful view, and set about to document today.  What.A.Day!